Changing the Future
by Chandrakanta
Summary: Just before Bella comes to Forks, both she and Edward receive a package of 4 books. Their lives change now they know a version of the future. Can they do better this time, learn from the books? Canon rewrite of DeydreamBeliever's original story.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is a rewrite of the story written by DeydreamBeliever ( ID #1843522), in an effort to be more true to the canon story and characters. The original version is also posted on my account, with the author's permission (see her profile). I previously, prior to 7/11/2014 had a version of this rewrite that was mostly similar to the original, with just a few minor changes to story and dialogue. As of this date, however, my rewrite is undergoing a major overhaul. Other FF authors are free to rewrite and/or continue the _**original**_ version of this story, the one completely written by DeydreamBeliever, but this rewrite is mine. Please don't steal it. Thank you.

Disclaimer: The Twilight saga belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I'm just having some fun playing with the characters.

* * *

The day started out the same as any other for Edward Cullen. He went to high school, again, and sat in classes that he could instruct better than the teacher could. He did his best to tune out the deluge of thoughts that assaulted his mind due to his "gift." It seemed a curse more than a gift, although it was extremely useful for protecting his vampire family from suspicious humans.

As the only vampire in his family without a mate, a companion to love and keep him from an eternity of loneliness, each day became a monotonous blend from one into the next, with little happening to differentiate one from any other. This day, however, changed everything. It all began when he and his "siblings" returned to their remote home in the Olympic wilderness after their day in Forks' High.

"Edward, honey, a package came for you today," Esme announced as he walked through the door, pointing toward a large box placed on the coffee table.

"What did you get me this time, Alice?" Edward asked his hyperactive shopaholic sister, with a poor attempt at mustering some enthusiasm for whatever she'd decided to buy him this time.

Unexpected packages were a common occurrence in their household due to Alice's shopping obsession and their nearly limitless funds, which had mostly been accumulated over the course of the last century and increased exponentially due to Alice's foresight of stock market trends. It made their existence exceedingly more pleasant, never lacking the funds for any comfort, convenience, or entertainment they chose to indulge themselves in. Their wealth also allowed them to give back to humanity by anonymously donating to various charities.

"It wasn't me this time," Alice protested. Her eyes glazed over momentarily as she used her gift to see what was in the package. Curious now, knowing the parcel wasn't something Alice had ordered for him, Edward listened into her thoughts to watch the vision along with her. He saw himself open the box and remove four books, then sit on his sofa as he read them, completely absorbed by the story.

Cheered slightly by this unexpected gift, Edward was glad that it was the start of the weekend, so he could read the books uninterrupted. By the size of them, he expected to be reading all night and well into tomorrow.

"Oh, just books. Enjoy your weekend, Brother." Alice smirked at him, knowing how much he enjoyed either reading or listening to music. Her mind turned to both her wardrobe and Jasper as she grasped her mate's hand and pulled him up the stairs to their room. Rosalie and Emmett had long disappeared into their bedroom to relieve the stress of their day among hormonal human teenagers.

Edward quickly diverted his thoughts from them, focusing once again on Esme. "Thanks, Mom," he mumbled, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

Esme beamed at him, her thoughts overflowing with happiness at his words and gesture. Edward usually kept to himself, and while he did consider Carlisle and Esme to be his father and mother in many ways, he rarely addressed them as such. Edward usually eschewed physical contact as well, rarely initiating a hug or a kiss, and often grudgingly accepting of ones given to him.

Turning away from her, Edward retrieved his parcel and fled to his room, craving the solitude he would find there. Although not complete with his family's thoughts and sounds creating a constant background noise, the weather was not conducive for reading books outside, so his room was the best sanctuary he would find. After nearly a century as a gifted a vampire, he was used to the noise and had no trouble filtering them out of his conscious mind so he could focus on his own pursuits.

Following the path of Alice's vision, Edward walked over to his black leather sofa, the only furniture currently in his room. Not needing sleep or having a mate, he didn't feel the need to fill his space with an unnecessary bed. The sofa more than fulfilled his needs—technically, he didn't even need that, as he was just as comfortable standing as he was sitting—but he enjoyed keeping at least some human habits, such as sitting to read a book, alive.

Gracefully seating himself on the sofa, he cut open the parcel with his sharp fingernails and removed the four books from within. He gave them a cursory inspection, deducing they were a series, and checked the covers for an indication of where to start reading. Finding it, he placed the books in order, setting three on the floor and opening the first book. He turned past the title page to the book's preface, already engrossed by the story printed on the pages.

Meanwhile, in Phoenix, Arizona, an identical parcel arrived on the doorstep of Renée and Phil Dwyer's home. The parcel was not addressed to them, however, but to Renée's daughter, Isabella "call me Bella" Swan. Bella was in the midst of packing the meager belongings she intended to take with her when she moved to live with her father, Charlie, in Forks, Washington the next day when she heard the doorbell chime. Rushing to the front door, she arrived just in time to see a brown van driving away.

Looking down, she saw the parcel and picked it up, noticing the label bearing her name, but curiously without a return address. The package arrived just in time. A day later and her mother would have had to forward it on to her in Forks, if she remembered to do so, anyway.

Sighing, she pushed the thought of being stuck in the dismal town her father called home to the back of her mind. It was her choice to go there to live with him, and she would stand by that choice, no matter how much she dreaded it. It was only for a couple more years, then she could escape to any place of her choosing, that her limited budget could afford anyway.

The box was heavier than she expected, but her astute mind told her it was filled with books. Prior knowledge with similar packages reinforced that theory. She took the parcel to her room and dropped it ungracefully on her bed, before turning to her packing supplies in search of some scissors. She found them and worked quickly, yet carefully, to open the box, revealing the books she assumed were within.

There were four of them, she was delighted to see. Reading was her favorite pastime, and now she would have something new to occupy her on her flight and over the weekend before the dreaded first day in a new school. The books would make the weekend fly by, which wasn't exactly a good thing, but they would also hopefully keep her worrying too much about Monday's arrival.

Assuming the books were an unexpectedly thoughtful gift from her mother, Bella left her room to go thank her for them. She found Renée in the garage of all places, searching through boxes, a pile of discarded items scattered around her. Oh well, at least it was better than a cooking disaster in the kitchen, and this time Bella wouldn't be the one to clean up after her.

"Thanks for the new books, Mom," Bella said enthusiastically, expressing her gratitude. Renée looked up at her, wearing a puzzled expression.

"What books, honey?"

How odd, Bella thought. Her mother wasn't any better at lying than she was. Unless Renée had forgotten about the books—a possibility, but unlikely; her mother was certainly scatterbrained, but she didn't have trouble recalling something once she had a reminder—someone else had sent them to her.

"Never mind," Bella answered, brushing off her query. It was a little worrisome, some unknown person mailing her something, but they were just books and Bella wouldn't be at this house anymore after tomorrow. Whoever it was would be crazy to stalk her at the Chief of Police's home, even if he was just the Chief of a small town. "The flight takes off rather early tomorrow, so I'm going to bed right after dinner."

"Good idea, honey," Renée responded absently, her mind already back on whatever she was looking for. Bella shrugged and went to the kitchen to start dinner, whipping up some spaghetti—something quick and easy to make—and eating by herself, a normal routine for her. She put the rest of the spaghetti into the fridge for her mother to re-heat later once Renée realized she was hungry.

Returning to her room, Bella packed the few remaining items left there before sitting on her bed, looking nostalgically around at the bare walls of her bedroom. She thought of everything she was leaving behind—the sun, warmth, her mother—but refused to give in to despair. Shaking off the morose thoughts, she went through her nightly routine before climbing into bed and snuggling herself down in between the sheets.

This was the last night she would spend in this house, this room, this bed. This time tomorrow she would be in cold, dreary, rainy Forks, Washington with her father, whom she had only seen for two weeks each year during the summer. It was a daunting change to her well-ordered universe and she wasn't quite sure how she'd cope with it all, but she was determined to nonetheless.

Despite her best efforts, she tossed and turned restlessly, sleep eluding her. Her mind refused to quiet and give her peace, and eventually she gave up trying. Flipping the lamp next to her bed on, she retrieved the books that had arrived for her, looking through them carefully to determine which one to start with.

Finally settling on the book called _Twilight_, she sat up against her headboard, the book in her lap. She examined the cover, wondering at the symbolism of two pale hands holding a shiny red apple, as if in offering, before opening the book and flipping the pages forward until she reached the preface. Her eyes quickly absorbed the words upon the page and she was immediately intrigued when she caught the name of the town she would moving to tomorrow: Forks. She turned the page, reading through the night.


	2. Chapter 2

As he read the first book, Edward's mind was filled with a dozen conflicting thoughts and emotions. Could it be real? Who wrote the books and sent them to him? Was she a gifted vampire similar to Alice, or something else?

He had never heard of the books or author before, so he held out hope that they weren't published for a mainstream audience. If the books ended up in the wrong hands, they would have the Volturi to deal with and that wouldn't be in anyone's best interest. If the author was a seer of some kind and already knew so much about him and his family, it would stand to reason that she would be aware of the Volturi and their laws as well. He would remain vigilant, of course, but would not worry overmuch about the Volturi until he knew more.

His mind then turned to the girl, Bella. He hadn't even seen her yet, but he already felt a yearning to know her through more than what had been revealed to him in the pages of this book. Was she real? Would he be meeting her—his mate that he had long since lost hope he'd ever find—soon? A part of him was eager for that to happen while another part, recalling the reaction of his book-self to Bella, feared that day. What if he wasn't as strong as his book-self was? What if he couldn't resist the allure of Bella's blood?

Then there were his other worries, worries he no doubt shared with his book-self. What kind of relationship could he really have with her? He wouldn't damn her to this half-life he was forced to live. He was tempted to destroy the books and run as far away as possible. If he left and stayed away from Forks for the next century, the girl—if she existed—would never meet him and could continue to live her life, a human life, without interference from his supernatural world.

But… he found himself to be too curious. He wanted to know what happened with his book-self and Bella. If he destroyed the books too soon, he might miss out on the reason they were sent to him in the first place. Maybe it was to keep him away from the girl, but maybe there was more to it. Decision made, he quickly finished reading _Twilight _and thought back over everything he'd read.

He couldn't deny that the girl—that Bella—was his mate. She seemed to be bonded to him right away, exhibiting little fear in regards to him, although her reactions were normal when it came to James's coven of traditional vampires. The electricity she felt when their hands touched sounded similar to what he remembered hearing in the minds of Carlisle and Esme after Esme was first changed and they bonded as mates, as well as what Rosalie and Emmett first experienced.

Even knowing that she was his mate and he was hers, he wasn't sure that involving himself in her life was the right thing to do. The question of what their relationship would become and what would happen to her life remained. Just being a part of his world for a few days had put her at great risk in this first book. Wouldn't it be better to stay out of her life altogether? Then he remembered the very human calamities that nearly befell her in that book, things that he had saved her from, and he wasn't sure. With that in mind, he opened the second book, _New Moon,_ and began to read.

Barely into the first chapter, Bella stopped reading, shocked by the story she'd read so far. It was more than just a coincidence in place names. Her name was in this book, too? How could this be? She'd never heard of the author before. Of course, she could be using a pseudonym. But still… whoever it was, how could she know so much about Bella to write a story about her? Everything she'd read so far rang true—about Bella's thoughts, her true reasons for moving to Forks (rather than the reason she gave her mother), everything about her father, Charlie's house (as far as Bella could remember at least)—all of it seemed to be correct.

It was like something out of one of her mother's fantasy novels or something. Bella had never really thought much about magic or the supernatural before—she certainly hadn't seriously considered any of it could be real before—but she couldn't think of any sane, normal, rational explanation for the existence of this book. Even a stalker who'd learned all her habits couldn't know her thoughts, so what explanation was there other than something supernatural?

She continued reading, drawn into the story of her character and the mysterious Cullens, especially Edward. Was the story fictional, or was it—or rather would it be, since it was in the future—real? Was _he_ real?

She stayed up late—too late, really, but it was the weekend, so she figured it didn't matter too much—unable to put the book down, completely immersed in the story of her book-self's relationship with Edward Cullen, a 104-year old vampire teenager. She felt so invested in the story. Maybe it's because she was the main character, but she felt so close to Edward already and desperately hoped he was real.

She could tell from Edward's words and behavior that he was really focused on all the ways he was different from her: primarily that he was a vampire and technically so much older than her. She didn't see it that way, though. She saw Edward as a person, she saw his humanity. His being a vampire was a minor thing to her, except for him not aging while she did. She could see that part of it becoming a major problem at some point.

The era he was born in, though, made him the ideal man for her. He was born so close to the time of many of her favorite romantic heroes from the classic novels she favored reading. He was completely different from the boys she knew in her school here, and she doubted the boys in Forks were very different from them. Actually, from what she could tell from this book, the boys mentioned sounded much the same as the ones in Phoenix.

Returning her thoughts back to Edward, she wondered at what seemed like poor self-esteem in him. She wondered if he had always been that way, even when he was human, or if it was just because he didn't like what he was. She really wished she had a book of his thoughts, so she could know if her perception was correct, but she thought it was.

Of course, she recognized the poor self-esteem in her book-self, too. Her book-self didn't seem to realize it, and maybe it was because Bella was reading it with an outside perspective, but she saw clearly how her book-self thought she wasn't good enough to be with Edward or the Cullens when they—everyone except Rosalie—accepted her as one them, and other than consideration for her human fragility, they didn't really treat her any differently from each other.

If the Cullens were real and she met them, Bella vowed to herself to accept their opinion of her. They considered her one of them, despite the fact that she was human and they were not; they valued her and her opinions and she wouldn't scoff at that in the future like her book-self did.

Finishing _Twilight_, Bella felt affirmation in her perception of Edward and what he thought of himself as a vampire. She couldn't think of any other reason he would put himself through what amounted to torture in order to keep her from changing into a vampire after she was attacked by James. She knew that she didn't have any real concept of how painful and difficult it truly was for him, but she was amazed at his strength to do so successfully nonetheless. She couldn't believe he would put himself through that if he didn't truly love her.

He must truly hate what he was and that was why he didn't want her to become a vampire either. She thought back to what Edward had told her book-self about Rosalie and how she hated what she was and would do anything, even give up the man she loved, to become human again. Perhaps Edward believed she would be like Rosalie if she was changed, and that was also why he refused her.

Setting the book down on her nightstand, Bella was tempted to move on to the next book and find out what happened next, but she noted the time and realized there were just a couple hours left until she had to be awake to leave for her flight. With one last glance at the remaining stack of books, Bella decided she should try to get a little sleep and save reading that book for later, on the two flights needed to take her to her new home. Turning the lamp off, she laid back in bed and closed her eyes. She found she did not dread her move to Forks anymore and fell quickly into a deep and restful sleep.


End file.
